You are here

Forget the records, it’s AHS vs. RHS

ASHEBORO — Sometimes when two teams play, it truly doesn’t matter what the records are, who the teams have faced or where the game is played. When these two teams strap on the gear and head to the gridiron, the past means absolutely nothing.

Locally, there isn’t a rivalry that meets those criteria better than the Asheboro High School-Randleman High School football game, a rivalry that will be renewed tonight when the two teams meet at Charles R. Gregory Stadium. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

For the record, the Tigers come into the contest undefeated, having handily defeated Southwestern Randolph (35-7), North Stanly (48-21) and West Davidson (44-14). For the record, those 127 points in three games mean absolutely nothing tonight.

For the record, the Blue Comets come in 1-2, losers of two straight. After recording a 28-12 win over Eastern Randolph, the Blue Comets dropped a 35-17 decision to state-ranked High Point Central and a 22-10 decision to state-ranked North Davidson. For the record, a victory over another rival and two fairly good performances against two state-ranked foes means absolutely nothing tonight.

“The Randleman-Asheboro series has been going on since the ’80s,” said RHS coach Shane Handy, who has been involved with the rivalry as a player and a coach. “It’s always been a great one. Our borders meet. Randleman has varied from year to year, really decade to decade, in being competitive or not and hopefully we can come out and compete with them this time.”

The Blue Comets have won four of the five meetings between the teams since Handy took over. Despite very successful season the last two years, the Tigers have left the last two contests between the two teams shaking their heads, including a 34-17 setback last year.

“The first two years we played them, it was pretty rough,” Handy said. “We’ve always played them fairly early and for some reason, we always make good adjustments after that game for the rest of our season. Throughout the years, we’ve gotten better as the year has gone on where early on, we didn’t do such a good job.”

One person who has been involved in this rivalry for about 25 years is AHS Athletic Director Dee Bulla. Bulla has tasted this rivalry from both sides. After graduating from AHS, he spent 20 years as an assistant coach, head coach and athletic director at Randleman before returning to AHS and holding the position of assistant coach, head coach and athletic director. He admitted whenever these two teams play, it’s more than just a game.

“I think it’s because the communities are so close, both programs have had success over the years and there are a lot of people who have interchanged over the years between the two schools,’ Bulla said. “When I was at Randleman, it wasn’t the most important game, but it did help your season and no one could say it didn’t. It doesn’t matter how good your season has been or who is supposed to to win. Anyone can beat anyone in this game.”

AHS coach Owen George has been a part of this rivalry for more than a decade, but tonight is the first time he’ll enter the game as a head coach.

“It’s special for a lot of reasons,” he said. “There’s bragging rights for a year. It’s really good to stake your claim in this game. Since I’ve been here, you throw everything out the window. There’s a lot of emotion and you don’t worry about the past. I know our kids know a lot of their kids and we always talk about winning the county championship. You always want to have a good showing against your county rivals. Every game is important, but the Randleman game is special.”

Of course, both coaching staffs have plenty of respect for the other.

“Coach Handy and his staff do a great job in-season and out of season,” George said. “He works tirelessly for 12 months a year. You can tell how much bigger, stronger and faster they have gotten in the five or six years he has been there.”

The Blue Comets have surrendered plenty of big plays through the air this season and they may be dealing with the best receiver they will see all year in Juvall Mollette. Only a junior, Mollette is getting looks from plenty of Division I schools.

“We are obviously going to have to match up properly there,” George said. “We have to know where he is at all times. There have been a couple of times where we have had breakdowns in the secondary. First and foremost we have to iron out the breakdowns we have there. You’re never going to stop him. We have to contain him.”

Handy says he’s impressed with the Blue Comets’ defense, a defense that has played very well except for some breakdowns in that secondary. Nick Coe and James Ridley have been standouts thus far and they’ll be tested by a Randleman offense that has been very efficient early on. Quarterback Nathan Sloan and running backs Jacar Green, Bradley Berridge, Bobby Gibbs and Spencer Hamilton have had little trouble moving the ball.

“They are really blessed at the skill positions,” George said. “They are playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Blue Comets will be without Detri Wilson for a second straight game because of a knee injury.

AHS needs to get back to the win column after two straight losses and the Tigers, of course, are attemting to keep an undefeated season alive.

There’s plenty more on the line tonight than just a nonleague win. And both teams know it.